Manipur,IMPHAL, Janurary 31: The state government has kept in a sorry state of affairs two fast track courts of the state which were established 11 years back to take up cases relating to violence related cases against women and children remain unknown to the public and are in a sorry state even as the clamour for such courts have only begun in other states following the brutal rape resulting in the death of a 23 year old student in New Delhi.
As per an investigation conducted by IFP, there are two fast track courts in Manipur, namely Additional District and Session Judge, Manipur East and Additional District and Session Judge, Manipur West.
Both are fast track courts of Manipur which were officially set up by the government of Manipur officially on December 31, 2001.
However, the presiding officer of Additional District and session judge, Manipur East was transferred in course of time following his promotion.
His post has been lying vacant for seven months.
The presiding officer and the staff of Additional district and Session Judge, Manipur west, have not got their salaries for 11 months while all the staff have only been appointed on a contract basis .
The investigation report further said that the two presiding officers of two fast track courts have been entrusted with the additional charge of the special court of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances (NDPS).
It is unreasonable that the post of the presiding officer which has been lying vacant for 11 months has not been filled up with a Additional District and session judge, Manipur East.
This has lead to the two fast track courts to be more or less defunct.
When IFP asked for the reasons about the prevailing condition of the two fast track courts, some advocates who did not want to disclose their names said the general public of the state do not have any knowledge about the two fast track having being in existence for11 years in Manipur.
They also pointed out that the Delhi gang rape incident had led to the establishment of a fast track court for trial of those involved in the incident and trial has been initiated but in Manipur, such a court has been lying defunct for a long time.
The advocates went on to say that a political heavyweight who is the president of a political party had demanded the setting up of a fast track court in Manipur.
The advocates asserted that there is no need for the establishment of other fast track courts in the state.
Instead, the two fast track courts of Manipur should be made permanent feature courts and should be provided with adequate manpower and other required infra structures, they maintained.
They further observed that fulfilment of these required facilities by the government would help the two courts take up and deal with various cases in time.